I'm not an artist myself, my younger brother who's about 16 years old is. He has been working with an art teacher for the past couple years doing stuff like sculpture, painting, woodworking. She says she's building his repertoire and developing skills he needs to be an artist. To me it all sounds like bullshit, but I'm not around often and my parents think she's doing great work.
I think he should be working on a tablet (he has one, broke it right after he got it and I just managed to fix it yesterday). I think the physical art is getting him nowhere and that he needs to just start drawing stuff on a tablet. If I was forceful with my parents I'm sure I could convince them to let me take over his art education and either get him a different teacher, get the old working the right stuff, or just teach him myself.
Who's in the right here /ic/? What should I do?
This is something the teacher worked with him on. I suspect she touched it up a least a little. Maybe I'm cynical
>>2556077
your younger brother is 16, he is old enough to make his own reasonable choices
And another one. It looks okay, these are the best though, there's not too many like this.
>>2556080
My younger brother is in a situation where he is not mentally capable to make his own choices. Should have put that in the op.
If he'd ever really want to do this as a career, then yes, he should do digital, and he should start as soon as possible. I wouldn't discourage him from doing traditional or sculpture stuff if he enjoys it, but if he wants to be able to survive comfortably as a professional artist, he probably has to be digital, or be prepared to work a different career alongside art.
He did this back when he was fourteen. The other posts are relatively new. I don't really see any improvement so I don't know what she's working on.
>>2556077
Absolutely nothing wrong with learning a variety of physical media you mongoloid
>>2556093
I'm going back and forth between he and she. I mean my brother and the art teacher.
>>2556089
Oh yeah, I don't want him to stop painting or sculpting ever. I just want him to start focusing on digital as he doesn't really have any other options besides art for a career.
>>2556093
>>2556082
>>2556079
I mean, they're not fantastic, no. Pushing him to try digital art would be good, but you also need to make sure he understands what art is like as a career, because it isn't like doing it in a highschool class.
Even to the artists that are amazing on digital art, where most modern illustration work happens, the industry often isn't fair, and when it is, it even more often doesn't support people well on its own. Regardless of age or years of practice under his belt, if he's at this skill level, he should recognize that this is a hobby for now, and making plans to turn it into a career isn't sensible until he reaches that level. I'm not saying he won't ever work in art, or that he shouldn't keep with it, but it seems like you're concerned with his art being a viable, marketable skill, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it won't be, not within the next five years. Make sure he knows what he's getting into, don't let him be hurt by something that is almost out of his power. Professional artists almost always come from different careers or education backgrounds because you shouldn't, and often can't say "I'm going to be and artist," study it in college, and actually make it happen immediately. You and him should be aware of that.
>>2556100
I don't mean to say that physical art is bullshit. What I mean to say is that working purely on physical art, which right now he's not improving at, isn't refining any artistic skills that he wouldn't be getting through digital art.
>>2556110
Thank you. Of course right now he doesn't need to sustain himself from his art. I just want him moving in the correct direction so that in, as you said, maybe 5-8 years he can make a living wage.
Due to the circumstances he doesn't really have any other skills that he could conceivably get a job with. Maybe he could work at McDonalds. If Comrade Sanders hikes the minimum wage that would be a viable career path for my bro.
Give him the Vilppu, Loomis, Watts, Han, Robertson.
>>2556121
5-8 years is certainly reasonable, I think, but yes, somewhere along the line, that switch to digital is necessary. Can I ask why he can't work outside of food or art? If we're looking long term here, it's reasonable to say he needs another job at some point to get by before he's good (and, again, lucky) enough to get by solely by his art. Unless he NEETs to study it for a while, which to be fair, some do if their situation allows for it.
>>2556137 see >>2556084
My brother is retarded. Not jokingly retarded like a robot. Actually mentally handicapped.
>>2556142
Ah, okay. I really, really hate to sound unnecessarily pessimistic here, but the art industry is difficult for a number of reasons outside of skill alone. Working professionally is about a couple of things as much as it is being good:
1. Experience. Sometimes in the form of a degree, or other positions held. It does matter, contrary to what some say (note: depending on what sort of work you mean, specifically, but most any career-jobs...)
2. Creating a brand for yourself. Making a portfolio is one thing, but getting out there is hard, and it will never be a step that does itself. Selling yourself as an artist is as much its own game as making good art.
3. Having the interpersonal skills to do business in art. This is the other end of having concrete experience. Selling pieces or commissions consistently enough to make it a career is a job that is certainly, not by any means easily compared to working in fast food. It's grueling in its own socially complicated ways.
He needs to have a plan for what he wants to do specifically, and work towards building the skills and mentalities needed to succeed in a real, concrete position in art. He is handicapped, and it is still possible, but it's hard, and I want you to know that it's as hard as it would be in a lot of other career paths. Art shouldn't be the option he goes after because he thinks it's cutting the corners of building a career, because it just isn't how it works. He can be an artist, and if life works out well enough in this chapter of his life, he can do it soon, but not without properly understanding what it takes on a personal end as much as what it takes on a "what medium should he do" end.
>>2556077
your bro`s stuff isn`t fantastic, but it seems that he has a lot of fun painting and sculpting, so why not let him do the stuff he feels most comfortable with. I really like the manatees btw !!
>>2556077
Heartless businessman here who's actually on the spectrum.
Your brother has a better chance of making money in art by making physical artifacts for rich white people who only appreciate them as conversation pieces than competing against professional digital artists who are not on the spectrum.
There's something profoundly sad about that, but reality is often a sad place.
